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Thursday, January 29, 2015

Russia Links Loom Larger as Greece Seeks Debt Relief

Athens’s Resistance on New EU Sanctions Over Ukraine Could Be a Bargaining Chip

By

Marcus Walker in Berlin,

James Marson in Moscow and

Alkman Granitsas in Athens

Jan. 28, 2015 4:37 p.m. ET

A new Greek government led by the left-wing Syriza party is
creating an overlap between the two biggest crises Europe has faced in
recent years: the deep economic malaise in the eurozone and the war in Ukraine.
Statements
this week by members of the new government that distance Greece from
European Union sanctions against Moscow have made officials in other
European capitals wonder whether Greece might obstruct EU policy toward
Russia over Moscow’s role in the war in Ukraine.

It isn’t clear
yet how far the new government, ushered in by Sunday’s election, might
go in resisting the EU’s strategy in the Ukraine conflict, which relies
heavily on punishing Moscow’s support for separatist rebels by imposing
sanctions on Russian officials, companies and industries.

But
analysts said the early signs suggest new Prime Minister
Alexis Tsipras
may be poised to revive two traditional Greek stances: flirting
with Moscow, and playing the part of a prickly ally for Europe and the
West.

Russia extends olive branch to Greeks

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told CNBC that
Russia would consider giving financial help to debt-ridden Greece—just
days after the new Greek government questioned further European Union
sanctions against Russia.

Siluanov said Greece had not yet asked Russia for
assistance, but he did not rule out an agreement between the two
countries if Greece came asking.

Andrey Rudakov I Bloomberg via Getty Images

Anton Siluanov, Russia's finance minister

"Well, we can imagine any situation, so if such petition
is submitted to the Russian government, we will definitely consider it,
but will take into account all the factors of our bilateral
relationships between Russia and Greece, so that is all I can say. If it
is submitted we will consider it," Siluanov told CNBC in an exclusive
interview in Moscow on Thursday.